The Biologics Boom Is Reshaping Cold Storage. Is Your Facility Pharma-Ready?
More cold storage facilities are adding space for pharmaceutical products as the research and development pipeline brings new refrigerated drugs to market. Most biologics, vaccines, and GLP-1s need tight temperature control, and demand for refrigerated capacity is climbing.
With the phasedown of hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) well underway, the efficiency and low global warming potential of CO2 and ammonia refrigeration systems is appealing to facility operators. That's good news for efficiency. It also means a facility's refrigeration system now answers to two very different audiences: the usual OSHA and EPA inspectors who care about Process Safety Management and Risk Management Programs, and the pharmaceutical quality teams who care about the integrity of the product and the accuracy of documentation.
Biologics Need Tight Temperature Control
The pharmaceutical research and development pipeline is bringing an increasing number of products that require temperature control to market. One-third of the 188 novel drugs approved by the Food and Drug Administration’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research between 2022 and 2025 were biologics, most of which require refrigeration.
In most cases, these are large, fragile molecules that break down if they get too warm. Most biologics must stay between 2°C and 8°C from the time they leave the plant until they're dispensed. Some treatments, such as certain mRNA vaccines, require storage at ultra-low temperature (ULT) conditions down to -90°C.
Biologics are also among the most expensive drugs on the market, so a single storage failure can mean a very costly loss.
GLP-1s Accelerate Cold Storage Growth
Then there are GLP-1 drugs like semaglutide and tirzepatide, sold under names including Ozempic, Wegovy, Mounjaro, and Zepbound. Demand for these diabetes and weight-loss treatments has grown rapidly, and many of these products require refrigerated storage until patients start using them.
In 2026, a Gallup poll found that 11% of U.S. adults currently use GLP-1 medication for weight loss. That's a huge volume of product moving through the refrigerated supply chain, and both manufacturers and distributors are scrambling to add capacity.
Growing Demand for cGMP-Ready Cold Storage
Biologics and GLP-1s are only part of the picture. The FDA had approved 29 novel drugs by late July 2026, and dozens more are in the pipeline. Life sciences R&D isn't slowing down, and demand for facilities that meet pharmaceutical standards is growing with it.
That demand shows up in new builds, expansions, and conversions, all aiming to meet the FDA’s Current Good Manufacturing Practice (cGMP) standards. Pharmaceutical manufacturers are increasingly adding temperature-controlled warehousing at their plants. In addition, distributors and third-party logistics providers are carving out pharma-grade rooms in buildings that used to hold food or other products.
But adding pharma-grade space is only part of the job. Pharmaceutical clients bring new regulatory requirements to cold storage facilities. They also bring stakeholders who are heavily invested in the reliability of your refrigerated space and in your due diligence.
Pharma-Ready Ammonia Refrigeration, From Design to Compliance
If serving pharmaceutical clients may be on your horizon, it’s worth asking whether your facility was designed with them in mind. Innovative engineers and builds refrigeration systems designed to support cGMP requirements, backed by thorough documentation and process validation. From efficient and reliable process cooling to pharma-ready cold storage solutions, Innovative engineers, manufactures, and installs refrigeration systems that deliver the reliability and n+1 redundancy that life sciences customers need.
When you work with Innovative, one team handles design, construction, maintenance, and compliance, so you have a single partner accountable for system performance, cGMP readiness, and process safety. Your success is our success, and that's what drives us to engineer excellence.
Contact us to review where your facility stands today, or learn more about Innovative's refrigeration solutions for the life sciences.
